MAYA HAYUK

With their symmetrical compositions, intricate patterns, and lush colors, Maya Hayuk’s paintings and massively scaled murals recall views of outer space, traditional Ukrainian crafts, airbrushed manicures, and mandalas. Hayuk weaves visual information from her immediate surroundings into her elaborate abstractions, creating an engaging mix of referents from popular culture and advanced painting practices alike while connecting to the ongoing pursuit of psychedelic experience in visual form. She has painted her iconic outdoor murals all over the world and, when not traveling, maintains an active studio in Brooklyn, sketching in paint to inform the large-scale works. She sees her studio painting practice and mural making as both inversely relational and symbiotic.
Maya Hayuk earned a BFA in Interrelated Media from Massachusetts College of Art and has studied at V.C.U., Richmond, VA, Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Canada, the University of Odessa, Odessa, Ukraine and at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine.

Hayuk’s work has been the subject of one person exhibitions and commissions at venues including The Bowery Wall, NY (2014), The Hammer Museum, LA (2013), The Museum Of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto, Canada (2013), Bonnefanten Museum, Maastricht, The Netherlands (2012); Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens, New York (2011); Musee E.A.V., Rio De Janiero, Brazil (2011); Matucana Artspace, Santiago, Chile (2009); Democratic National Convention, Denver, Colorado (2008); and Monster Island, Brooklyn, New York (2005-2011). Her work has been included in group exhibitions such as Streetopia, The Luggage Store, San Francisco (2012); Black Light & Outer Space, Secret Project Robot, Brooklyn, New York (2011); Rojo Nova, Museum of Image and Sound, Sao Paolo, Brazil (2010); Contemporary Art 2010, Ukrainian Institute of America, New York (2010); Sous l’es bombs, Musee International des Arts Modeste, Sete, France (2007); The Zine Unbound: Kults, Werewolves, and Sarcastic Hippies, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA (2005).

Hayuk has curated numerous exhibitions, is a member of the Barnstormers collective, the Cinders Art Collective and she frequently collaborated with other artists and musicians. She’s created album covers, videos, stage sets, photographs and posters for Rye Rye/M.I.A, The Akron Family, TV on the Radio, The Flaming Lips, Devendra Banhardt, Seun Kuti, Prefuse 73, Awesome Color, Oakley Hall, Home, Animal Collective, Dan Deacon, Bonnie Prince Billy and The Beastie Boys, amongst others.
Her book JUST GOOD VIBES on Ginko Press was released in 2007 and ROUND THE WAY was published by Nieves in 2010. Hayuk curated THIS WALL COULD BE YOUR LIFE, from 2005 – 2011 on the exterior walls of the now legendary and recently demolished Monster Island/ Secret Project Robot in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. On September 11th, 2011, Maya orchestrated the Paint Pour off the rooftop and down the walls of the building, drawing closed a curtain over years of public art work.
Hayuk lives in and loves Brooklyn, NY where she maintains a full time studio practice.